Like in most of his recent fights in the UFC, Mauricio Rua faces doubt and criticism ahead of his light heavyweight clash with Tyson Pedro at Saturday night’s UFC Adelaide.
Over the past five years, whether he was coming off wins or losses, the former UFC and PRIDE champion was questioned if he really should continue competing in the sport. Age is not quite the issue, but the Brazilian has dealt with so many injuries throughout his UFC career that he hasn’t been able to compete that often.
Unlike his last fight, when he trained in his hometown of Maringa ahead of a first-round loss to short-notice replacement Anthony Smith, Rua moved his camp to Sao Paulo to prepare for Pedro.